clickandrender.blogspot.com: Bago (Pegu): Pearly white Mahazedi Paya

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Bago (Pegu): Pearly white Mahazedi Paya

This is also one of my favourite temple. It's not so much for the pretty white-washed stupa building that beheld my interest but rather the reddish, mouldy building that was tucked away by the side of it. While the beauty of the solid stupas lies in its pure, eternal whiteness, the other was an "Ananda" style temple, similar to the ones in Bagan with Indian structure. It looks like a golden cavern with pillars and arching ceilings of gold. The light that survived through the windows sent a beautiful glow to the place. There was no one there except the friendly, non-English speaking caretaker. We took our time admiring the surrealism of the place. Everything looked like it was from a 3D game, with a fantastical mystery waiting to be unraveled, or from a Sinbad movie where the statues will jump out of their centuries-old slumber and come alive. Paint was peeling from some parts of the walls and the figurines on the walls were dust covered. It looked new from the glow yet the elements of age were also present. Both R and I felt like we've been transported to another world. It was cool and quiet and there was just the two of us with the four golden lady statues on all sides at the centre.

Originally constructed in 1560 AD by King Bayinnaung, it was destroyed during the sack of Bago in 1757. It wasn't rebuilt, and was nearly levelled by the 1930 earthquake, the current reconstruction only completed in 1982. - Green Trail Tours

Entrance of the temple